


Keeping promises

by Gondolin



Series: Keep [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blanket Permission, Cody and Obi-Wan are married, Cody was wounded during Landing at Point Rain in this, Kaminoans being Kaminoans, M/M, Obi-Wan Kenobi Whump, Podfic Welcome, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sentient Rights Violations All Around, even though it's all about him, mind you Cody isn't really in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23410945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gondolin/pseuds/Gondolin
Summary: Grief-stricken and angry Obi-Wan feels directionless like he hasn’t in years. He should be ready to let Cody go. They are at war, they are both soldiers, and death is the only constant in the shitshow that is this conflict. But not this, not cold, cost-cutting injustice.What Obi-Wan was doing before the ending of Keeping safe.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: Keep [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1254416
Comments: 16
Kudos: 205





	Keeping promises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yasuko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yasuko/gifts).



> For yasuko, who wanted to see the 6 months before Keeping safe and the friends who helped Obi-Wan.
> 
> This is tagged as Codywan because, well, it's what sets the plot in motion, but in this fic there's only Obi-Wan dealing with stuff. Trust me, I am aware of my own hypocrisy, since I was complaining not so long ago about Cody being out of commission during certain episodes. But there might be some Cody POV coming up in the next, uhhh, few years, given how slowly I write.

Grief-stricken and angry Obi-Wan feels directionless like he hasn’t in years. He should be ready to let Cody go. They are at war, they are both soldiers, and death is the only constant in the shitshow that is this conflict. But not this, not cold, cost-cutting injustice.

He should step back.

 _No._ There has to be a way. He’s tried ordering the Kaminoans doctors to save Cody. He has given Cody some of his own strength so that he could hold on, but they still insist he is “too damaged”, that it’s not worth trying to save him.

Obi-Wan has promised. He has promised to fight for Cody in front of witnesses and - oh. _Oh._ That’s when it hits him: this is how he can be Cody’s shield. He is Cody’s husband. That has legal value, that can be used to prove Cody is _not_ Republic property, but a citizen. Obi-Wan has to try.

If he does this, the Council will know. He fights off a wave of fear and shame. This, he will not be ashamed of. He will not, he refuses to. He thinks of Yoda’s ears drooping down in disappointment, of his fellow Council members frowning at him, of Mace’s worried expression.

His home, his family… he had thought of leaving before. Twice before, twice for love. Different kinds, sure, for Satine and then for Anakin. He can keep denying himself. Or he can brave the storm.

Calm descends on him as soon as he makes the choice. He’d like to find comfort in the Force, but the clouds still loom large, and he can’t see ahead, nor find in it the warmth of his youth. But he knows he is making the right choice, and this will have to suffice.

For Cody, he can and he will.

His commlink is buzzing as soon as he lands on Coruscant.

“Kenobi, what is the problem? You’re not supposed to be here, the 212th has orders-

“Not now. I’m calling an emergency Council meeting.”

He hears Mace’s sharp intake of breath and can’t just leave it at that.

“I’ve done something. I hope you’ll understand. If not… I’m not sorry.”

Surprisingly, Mace chuckles. “Harsh, but fair. It wouldn’t be like you not to stand by your choices. See you in the Council chamber.”

Does he not realise the seriousness of the situation, or is he ready to accept whatever comes? Obi-Wan doesn’t have the time to worry about that.

He has one stop to make before going to the Temple, and a call to make.

“Rex?”

“General?”

“You’ve heard about Cody,” not a question, “I’m about to let some people know we’re married. I’ll try not to get you involved if I can, but…”

“Don’t even think about that, do whatever you need to. They were going to decommission him, weren’t they?”

Obi-Wan chokes out a yes.

“Bastards. But they’ve got another thing coming.”

“I hope so,” Obi-Wan says, dejected and less than hopeful.

“Chin up, rid’vod. You’ll get through this. Cody’s too stubborn to die.”

After that, Obi-Wan stops at Padmé’s apartments.

“I am here to warn you. When I make the marriage public, your name might come up. And so will the _not technically illegal_ documents you provided for my riduur and for Rex.”

“Thank you for the warning,” she says, “I’m sure my career can withstand that. Go save your husband, Obi-Wan. And remember that I’m here for you.”

“Why have you called this meeting?” Ki-Adi Mundi starts, leaning forward in his chair, frowning, “New intel?”

“No,” Obi-Wan replies, voice steady, “It’s personal. I need to present my resignation from this Council and from the Order.”

Deep, deafening silence follows that statement. There are spikes of surprise in the Force that not even Masters can hide, but no one dares to breathe a word. Not even Yoda is saying anything, just staring at Obi-Wan, ears downturned, looking disappointed, even sad.

“I owe you an explanation,” he continues, “I have gone against the Code. I have formed attachments. I have gotten married, and now my husband needs me more than the Order does.”

“Decide what the Order needs, you cannot,” Yoda says.

A flash of - not rage, something else. Pride? Defiance? Runs through him. “I can tell you you won’t need the broken man I’d be if I just stood by and did nothing for him now.”

He unclips his lightsaber from his belt and holds it out to Yoda with a bow. But the Grandmaster does not move to take it.

It’s Master Billaba that comes to his help, gesturing for him to turn the weapon over to her. He shoots her the tiniest of grateful smiles, but she remains stoic.

“We accept your resignation, Obi-Wan Kenobi. From this moment on, you will no longer be a member of this Order.”

Having his named called like that, with no title attached, hits him unexpectedly hard and he almost flinches. He’s been Padawan Kenobi or Master Kenobi for as long as he can remember, now he has just that. Just a name. A name he has chosen to share with Cody, he thinks, and the thought brings him comfort.

As he starts to make his way out - without bowing, that is another thing he’ll have to get used to - Mace’s voice stops him. “One last thing. Will you be resigning your commission in the GAR too, or will you retain your post as General?”

His voice is calm and measured, but Obi-Wan can feel the uncertainty and regret coming from Mace. He doesn’t want to have to drag this on, but he must think of the practicalities.

“I will stay if they’ll have me. There is no precedent for this, but there are non-Clone officers. My next stop is High Command. I am sure Admiral Yularen will notify you of any changes.”

“May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan,” Mace says, and it’s both a blessing and a cruel reminder of what he’s leaving behind.

Silence follows him out of the Council chamber and through the empty corridors. They never used to be this empty, and Obi-Wan feels a pang of nostalgia that has nothing to do with his new status. Even if he were to stay, the Order he grew up in is no more.

All of a sudden he can’t bear to be in the Temple anymore, feeling like an intruder, his steps echoing too loudly, the low evening light cutting stark and unfamiliar shadows behind each column. He hurries towards his rooms to pick up what little he’ll need. His robes are heavy on his shoulders and he figures - he won’t be wearing them anymore. There’s still a spare set of civilian clothes from his last undercover mission, a pair of dark trousers and a dark red spacer jacket. It’s patched up in places where blaster bolts singed it, but it’s better than still wearing his robes.

Obi-Wan surveys the room one last time. There are traces of life here and there, an ancient book left to collect dust on the table from two or three missions ago, a pair of spare boots in a corner, an open pack of instant caff on the counter. But that’s all they are, traces in a space mostly unlived-in. He leaves his robes and belt on the bed, then turns his back to the only home he’s ever known.

Whatever he is feeling about that, he still has duties to attend to, and that’s what he does. He goes to the GAR central command to notify of the change in his circumstances. He doesn’t want to turn his back to the fight now, doesn’t want to leave his men, and his - _the_ Jedi either.

He tells as much to Yularen.

“I should be taking your rank too, you’re basically a civilian now as far as the army is concerned,” Yularen sighs, “But tactically that would make no sense. Your knowledge of the Third Systems Army would be… difficult to make up for.” he shudders, “It’s already hard enough with Commander Cody out of commission. General Kenobi,” he nods, and that all the acknowledgement he needs.

Obtained that, Obi-Wan leaves the command centre in a rush, restraining himself from breaking into a run more out of exhaustion than any sense of decorum. His aethersprite is waiting for him (and that is another thing he will have to figure out - that is a Jedi starfighter), and he punches in the coordinates for Kamino in one breathless rush.

He hasn’t really slept since he left Kamino in the first place, except for brief intervals during hyperspace jumps. He is exhausted and not fully healed himself, his ribs twinging with every sharp move, but as soon as he lands he rushes to the bacta tank where they’ve reluctantly agreed to place Cody for the time being.

He has his forehead against the cool glass by the time someone catches up to him.

“You are not author-

“Next-of-kin have rights to visitation and final say in all medical matters if a _person,”_ he can’t help but snarling out the word, “Is unconscious.”

He holds out the flimsi with one hand without even bothering to look around. The Kaminoan takes it and reads it over. “Cody Kenobi?”

Obi-Wan holds up Cody’s identichip, where his registration number is listed under: Previous/Other names.

“This makes no sense, CC-2224-

“If you are about to tell me that _my husband_ is Republic property, I strongly suggest re-thinking your approach.”

So. Apparently he’s tired enough he’s resorting to threats already. He has stopped being a Jedi for less than a handful of hours and he’s already losing his leash on his anger.

Nala Se stops. “Using fingerprints instead of DNA as proof of identity, very ingenious.”

“That’s what you chose to focus on?”

“This is highly irregular.”

“But legally binding. So you will do as I say.”

Though reluctant and with ill grace, she has no choice but to comply.

In the following days Obi-Wan remains on planet while waiting for his next orders.

He keeps trying to hide his hands in his sleeves, but they just _aren’t there._ He’s been undercover before, but that was a different kind of tension. Now he’s simply himself - only, not a Jedi, which he thought was all of himself until not so long ago. He has a GAR uniform now, stiff and new, to remind him that he is still a soldier.

Dimly, he thinks he should have commed Anakin at some point, to tell him…. To tell him directly. It doesn’t matter, Padmé would have told him already by now. Still, Obi-Wan is expecting a call, probably some yelling. What he is not expecting, is for Anakin to barge in cursing a blue streak and then crushing him in a hug worthy of Dex.

The first thing he does after that is to hand him his lightsaber. “Rex is right, you are a dikut. _This weapon is your life, Anakin,”_ he mocks, a poor imitation of Obi-Wan’s accent,“And then you just hand it back in? With Dooku and Grievous still on the loose!”

“But… this is yours!”

Anakin winks at him and moves his tunic aside to reveal another one of a very similar built. “No one was surprised to know I _lost_ my lightsaber on my last mission and needed a new one.”

“Anakin, you shouldn’t-

“Tut-tut. You can’t lecture me anymore. Shit, sorry, that probably wasn’t-

But Obi-Wan finds himself laughing. “I should have stopped lecturing you years ago, Anakin. Thank you.”

“How’s Cody?”

“Not well. But he’s holding on. I…” he slumps once again against Anakin.

As soon as it’s deemed safe to move Cody, Obi-Wan gets him the hell out of Kamino. And to Mandalore. It was Ashoka who suggested it, and as absurd as it had seemed at first, it does seem like the best option, especially considering they are not sure what Cody’s status would be now, officially, on Republic planets.

Asking Satine for safe passage and a place to stay was one of the hardest things he’s done, but she accepts readily.

While Cody’s situation is stable, he is not improving as much as they’d hope for.

“I think there might be infinitesimal traces of shrapnel still present, which are causing the scarring here in the brain. I suggest an atomic-level scan,” the doctor on Mandalore suggests.

“Let’s do it, then,” Obi-Wan says, and settles in to wait for the results.

When the results come in, and it’s not at all shrapnel, it’s a big enough shift in the fabric of reality, that the Sith Lord, all the way over on Coruscant, feels a pinprick of fear.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Mando'a**  
>  Rid'vod = brother-in-law - I made it up with “riduur” (spouse) and “vod” (brother)  
> Riduur = spouse
> 
> Thanks to tiender for reminding me to add a scene where Obi-Wan very dramatically takes off his robes.
> 
> It's not a Gondolin(tm) fic if we don't thwart Order 66 and destroy the chips :D


End file.
